The give-to-get philosophy is making its way across the partnerships space, and we love to see it. But unless you’re giving something your partner actually cares about, you’re really just using the give-to-get concept to reinforce a one-directional relationship.
You need to ask agencies directly:
What do you really want? What will genuinely motivate you and your team to return the favor in building value-add partnerships?
I did that. Here are some of the responses I got:
Gina Perrelli from Lunar Solar Group:
Provide support.
Dedicated and timely technical support is at the top of the wishlist for many agency teams. Issues will happen even with the most reliable products, and these technical issues can be detrimental to the agency’s relationship with a client if not resolved quickly. Being able to give timely support sets great partners apart from others.
Jordan Taormi from The Snow Agency:
Be specific.
Loop Returns hosted one of the best lunch and learns I’ve sat in on. They referenced a specific shoe client that we had in common and arranged for shoes of the wrong size to get shipped out to us. We got to fully experience the returns process that the brand and the Loop Returns platform offer. It was a memorable experience. It made it easy to remember information about Loop’s features and functionalities.
Mary Grace Tifft from WITHIN:
Prove reciprocity.
If you’re going to ask for introductions to new leads, be prepared to confirm what you will do for the agency partner in return. Don’t be afraid to get creative! You could offer direct intros/leads or activities that will allow your agency partner to meet your clients and client teams (e.g., lunch and learns with your success and sales teams or dinner, happy hour, or fun event).
Offering ways for your agency partners to meet your clients is what will set you apart from other vendors, especially ones with similar product functionalities and ICPs.
Want to chat more about how to activate agency partnerships to drive revenue? Book a meeting and let’s talk!
Text-to-speech provided by our partner Voicemaker.in.
